Real-time network traffic view

ABSTRACT

At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method, comprising requesting real-time measurement data for a telephone network between a transit carrier and a predetermined terminating carrier; and automatically receiving the real-time measurement data via the Internet at an originating carrier associated with the transit carrier. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope.

BACKGROUND

In many cases, most and/or all telephone calls destined for particularcountry, state, political region, and/or geographical region aredelivered to the called party by a single terminating carrier to whichan originating carrier can connect via any of several transit carriers.Similarly, electricity, gas, fuel, steam, and/or water can be providedby a terminating carrier that connects to an end user, that terminatingcarrier supplied by one or more originating and/or transit carriers.

SUMMARY

At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes amethod comprising automatically obtaining real-time measurement data fora telephone network between a transit carrier and a predeterminedterminating carrier, and automatically providing the real-timemeasurement data via the Internet to an originating carrier associatedwith the transit carrier.

At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes amethod comprising requesting real-time measurement data for a telephonenetwork between a transit carrier and a predetermined terminatingcarrier, and automatically receiving the real-time measurement data viathe Internet at an originating carrier associated with the transitcarrier.

At least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes agraphical user interface comprising a rendering of real-time measurementdata for a telephone network between a transit carrier and apredetermined terminating carrier, said rendering updated via anInternet connection at a predetermined time interval.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention and its wide variety of potential embodiments will bereadily understood via the following detailed description of certainexemplary embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method 1000 ofthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system 2000 ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an informationdevice 3000 of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a graphical userinterface 4000 of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a graphical userinterface 5000 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

According to an exemplary embodiment of a method of the presentinvention, one or more metrics that relate to capacity and/or trafficfor telephone calls can be provided to the originating, transit, and/orterminating carrier. In certain embodiments, “real-time” measurementdata can be provided. Such data can be of interest, for example, to anoriginating carrier in determining and/or selecting transit carriersand/or in switching traffic between various transit carriers. As anotherexample, such data can be of interest to a carrier in determining rates.

In an exemplary embodiment, a request for real-time measurement data canbe made by the originating carrier. This request can be entered by theoriginating carrier via an information device that is connected via anetwork to a data server, such as a web server, that provides thereal-time measurement data. The request can be entered via a graphicaluser interface, such as a web browser, via which the originating carriercan specify the real-time measurement(s), transit carriers, terminatingcarriers, countries, and/or regions of interest. The graphical userinterface can provide user interface elements, such as menus, picklists, check boxes, buttons, hyperlinks, etc., that can facilitate theentry of the request. For example, the graphical user interface canprovide a pick list of countries of interest. As another example, thegraphical user interface can provide an array of check boxes via whichthe originating carrier can selected from among multiple potentialreal-time measurements (such as number and/or percent of links and/orcircuits that are idle, available, utilized, overflowed, served by aparticular technology (e.g., copper, satellite, fiber, radio, cellular,microwave, POTS, X.25, ISDN, ATM, and/or Voice-over-IP, etc.), and/orbusy due to maintenance, etc.).

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a method 1000 ofthe present invention. Note that although various activities arepresented in a numbered sequence, and are connected with arrows to anexemplary embodiment of method 1000, there is no general requirementthat the activities be performed in any particular order or anyparticular number of times, or that all activities, be performed.Moreover, any activity can be performed automatically and/or manually.

At activity 1100, real-time measurement data for a telephone networkbetween a transit carrier and a predetermined terminating carrier can berequested.

As used herein, the phrase “real-time” means within 0 to 15 minutes,inclusive of each time therebetween, such as for example, 11.2 minutes,5 minutes, 4.6 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and/or 1.001 minutes, etc.of an occurrence of an event. As used herein, in the context of atelephone network, the term “measurement” includes a capacity conditionand/or traffic performance metric. A real time measurement can representa measurement taken at a discrete time and/or a statistic of suchmeasurements, such as for example, a count, sum, running total, maximum,minimum, average, weighted average, moving average, sampled average,etc. As used herein, “real-time measurement data” can include areal-time measurement and/or a real-time measurement statistic; acountry, state, political region, and/or geographical region to which areal-time measurement relates; an originating, transit, and/orterminating carrier and/or service provider to which a real-timemeasurement relates; and/or a date and/or time to which a real-timemeasurement relates.

As used herein, the term “network” can be a telephone, electricity, gas,fuel, steam, water, communications, and/or utility network. As usedherein, the phrase “telephone network” can be a plain old telephonesystem (“POTS”) network, a private telephone network, a cellulartelephone network, and/or a Voice-over-IP network, etc. Moreover, thephysical layer of the telephone network can include wired, optical,microwave, cellular, radio, and/or satellite links and/or circuits, etc.As used herein, the phrase “transit carrier” means a carrier of atelephone call across a single and/or network of links and/or circuits.As used herein, the phrase “terminating carrier” means a carrier thatcarries a call received from a transit carrier, to potentially as far asthe called party. As used herein, the phrase “originating carrier” meansa carrier of a telephone call that is provided to the transit carrier,and can potentially be directly connected to the calling party.

The real-time measurement data can be requested by any carrier. Therequest can be made, for example, by selecting an identification ofreal-time measurement data of interest from a list of potentialreal-time measurement data. The real-time measurement data can beselected, for example, for a particular destination country and/orterminating carrier. The requested real-time measurement data can berequested periodically, at any customizable predetermined time interval(such as every 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes,2 minutes, and/or 1 minute), and/or aperiodically.

At activity 1200, the real-time measurement data can be obtained by thetransit carrier. This measurement data can be obtained from a networktraffic management system, such as for example, the WorldwideIntelligent Network used by AT&T Corp. The real-time measurement datacan be provided to a database that can be connected to a data server,such as a web-connected data server (“web server”). The real-timemeasurement data can be provided to the data server in any format,including HTML, and/or can be converted to any format, including HTML,at the data server.

At activity 1300, the real-time measurement data can be provided via anetwork, from the data server to a customer information device. Thenetwork can be a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, a publicswitched telephone network (PSTN), a private network, a wirelessnetwork, a cellular network, a local area network, the Internet, etc.The real-time measurement data can be provided, for example, via FTPover a wide-area network, using, for example, the FTP PUT command. Thereal-time measurement data can be provided periodically, at anycustomizable predetermined time interval (such as every 15 minutes, 10minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and/or 1 minute),and/or aperiodically.

At activity 1400, the real-time measurement data can be rendered on thecustomer information device. As used herein, the term “render” means tomake perceptible to a human. The real-time measurement data can berendered in any of a number of formats, including in a tabular,graphical, video, and/or audio format. For example, a graphical formatcan be rendered that includes dynamic, animated, and/or coloredelements, and can be provided as a chart (scatter, line, bar, pie,cluster, etc.). The real-time measurement data can be renderedperiodically, at any customizable predetermined time interval (such asevery 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2minutes, and/or 1 minute), and/or aperiodically.

At activity 1500, the real-time measurement data can be monitored on thecustomer information device. Such monitoring can take place manuallyand/or automatically. For example, an originating carrier in Virginiacan monitor what percentage of traffic carried by a particular transitcarrier is flowing over satellite circuits to a terminating carrierserving the island of Martinique. The real-time measurement data can bemonitored periodically, at any customizable predetermined time interval(such as every 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes,2 minutes, and/or 1 minute), and/or aperiodically.

At activity 1600, traffic can be routed and/or diverted based on thereal-time measurement data. Continuing with the previous example, if theoriginating carrier determines that the percentage of traffic carried bythe particular transit carrier over satellite circuits to Martinique isunacceptable, the originating carrier can initiate a switch of anydesired portion of the traffic to another transit carrier. Typically,such a switch would effect future calls, but in some cases could effectexisting calls.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a system 2000 ofthe present invention. As an initial matter, it suffices to say that,using the description of method 1000, one of ordinary skill in the artcan implement the functionality of method 1000 via system 2000 utilizingany of a wide variety of well-known architectures, hardware, protocols,and/or software. Thus, the following description of system 2000 can beviewed as illustrative, and unless specified otherwise, should not beconstrued to limit the implementation of method 1000 and/or the scope ofany claims attached hereto.

System 2000 can comprise a traffic network management system 2100, thatcan be coupled via a network 2200 to one or more databases 2300 and/orto at least one web server 2400, which can have a connected database2500. Traffic network management system 2100 can obtain, process, store,and/or provide real-time measurement data automatically and/or asrequested. Likewise, web server 2400 can request, obtain, process,store, and/or provide real-time measurement data automatically and/or asrequested. Communications between traffic network management system 2100and web server 2400 can be secure, encrypted, and/or validated.

Web server 2400 can be coupled via a network 2600, such as the Internet,to a customer information device 2700, which can have one or moredatabases 2800 connected thereto. In an exemplary embodiment, web server2400 can utilize the Microsoft NT server technology.

Customer information device 2700 can request, obtain, store, process,and/or provide real-time measurement data automatically and/or asrequested. To connect to network 2600 and/or web server 2400, customerinformation device 2700 can provide a userID and/or password.Communications between web server 2400 and customer information device2700 can be secure, encrypted, and/or validated.

Either of networks 2200, 2600 can have any architecture, including adirect connection, a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, apublic switched telephone network (PSTN), a private network, a wirelessnetwork, a cellular network, a local area network, a wide area network,an intranet, an extranet, the Internet, and/or a combination thereof,etc. Either of networks 2200, 2600 can be a packet-switched, acircuit-switched, a connectionless, or connection-oriented network orinterconnected networks, or any combination thereof. Either of networks2200, 2600 can be oriented toward voice, data, or voice and datacommunications. Moreover, a transmission media of either of networks2200, 2600 can take any form, including wireline, satellite, wireless,or a combination thereof.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an informationdevice 3000 of the present invention. Information device 3000 canrepresent any customer information device 2700, server 2400, and/ortraffic network management system 2100. Information device 3000 caninclude well-known components such as one or more communicationinterfaces 3100, one or more processors 3200, one or more memories 3300containing instructions 3400, and/or one or more input/output (I/O)devices 3500, etc.

In one embodiment, communication interface 3100 can be a bus, aconnector, a telephone line interface, a wireless network interface, acellular network interface, a local area network interface, a broadbandcable interface, a telephone, a cellular phone, a cellular modem, atelephone data modem, a fax modem, a wireless transceiver, an Ethernetcard, a cable modem, a digital subscriber line interface, a bridge, ahub, a router, or other similar device.

Each processor 3200 can be a commercially available general-purposemicroprocessor. In certain embodiments, the processor can be anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) or a Field ProgrammableGate Array (FPGA) that has been designed to implement in its hardwareand/or firmware at least a part of a method in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

Memory 3300 can be coupled to processor 3200 and can comprise any devicecapable of storing analog or digital information, such as a hard disk,Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, acompact disk, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a magnetic tape, a floppydisk, and any combination thereof. Memory 3300 can also comprise adatabase, an archive, and/or any stored data and/or instructions. Forexample, memory 3300 can store instructions 3400 adapted to be executedby processor 3200 according to one or more activities of a method of thepresent invention.

Instructions 3400 can be embodied in software, which can take any ofnumerous forms that are well known in the art. Instructions 3400 cancontrol operation of information device 3000 and/or one or more otherdevices, systems, or subsystems.

Input/output (I/O) device 3500 can be an audio and/or visual device,including, for example, a monitor, display, keyboard, keypad, touchpad,pointing device, microphone, speaker, video camera, camera, scanner,and/or printer, including a port to which an I/O device can be attached,connected, and/or coupled.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a graphical userinterface 4000 of the present invention. Note that although presented asa tabular interface, graphical user interface 4000 can be rendered inany of a number of formats, including in a tabular, graphical, video,and/or audio format. Date column 4100 identifies the date that thereal-time measurement data was obtained, stored, provided, and/orrendered. Similarly, time column 4200 identifies the time, such as inUTC, that the real-time measurement data was obtained, stored, provided,and/or rendered.

Carrier column 4300 identifies the transit carrier. Destination column4400 identifies the destination country and/or termination carrierassociated with the real-time measurement data. Real-time measurementcolumns 4500-4800 identify number of idle circuits and/or links, percentoverflow, percent maintenance busy, and percent satellite, respectively.

The data for idle circuits can be related to an average number ofcircuits that are neither traffic busy or maintenance busy. The data foridle circuits can be related to an average of the toal circuits minusthe occupied circuits, where the total circuits include two-way circuitsand one-way outbound, circuits. The data for overflow can be related toa percentage of overflowed calls with respect to total call attemptsfrom the transit carrier to the terminating carrier. The callsconsidered can include inbound, outbound, international, local, transit,and/or terminating, etc.

The data for maintenance busy can be related to a percentage ofmaintenance busy circuits with respect to total circuits from thetransit carrier to the terminating carrier. The data for satellite canbe related to a percentage of satellite circuits with respect to totalcircuits from the transit carrier to the terminating carrier.

In certain embodiments, a user can sort by any column. In certainembodiments, if a value of any measurement is outside a predeterminedvalue and/or range, a user can receive a notification, such as, forexample, a dialog box, an alarm, a pager message, an e-mail message, afax, and/or display of the measurement and/or measurement data in boldand/or a particular color, etc. In certain embodiments, the user canspecify the parameters of the notification.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of a graphical userinterface 5000 of the present invention. As shown, certain data fromFIG. 4 can be presented in a chart format. Specifically, percentoverflow, percent maintenance busy, and percent satellite are presentedby country. Note that any chart format can be used, including scatter,line, bar, pie, cluster, high-low, combination, etc.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous variations,modifications and additional embodiments are possible, and accordingly,all such variations, modifications, and embodiments are to be regardedas being within the spirit and scope of the invention. Also, referencesspecifically identified and discussed herein are incorporated byreference as if fully set forth herein. Accordingly, the drawings anddescriptions are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not asrestrictive.

1. A method, comprising: requesting real-time circuit performancemetrics for a communications network between a transit carrier and apredetermined terminating carrier via a predetermined customerinformation device; automatically receiving the real-time circuitperformance metrics via an internet at an originating carrier associatedwith the transit carrier so that the originating carrier can monitor thereal-time circuit performance metrics, wherein the real-time circuitperformance metrics are received by the predetermined customerinformation device; and routing traffic at direction of the originatingcarrier, and not by a user, through a different transit carrier if thereal-time performance metrics are considered to be unacceptable, whereinthe traffic is routed by the predetermined customer information device.2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a list ofpotential real-time circuit performance metrics.
 3. The method of claim1, further comprising identifying the real-time circuit performancemetrics.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a listof countries.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying acountry of the terminating carrier.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising receiving a list of terminating carriers.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising identifying the terminating carrier.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the real-time circuitperformance metrics.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprisingrouting traffic based on the real-time circuit performance metrics. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time circuit performance metricsare graphically rendered.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein thereal-time circuit performance metrics are rendered in a tabular form.12. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time circuit performancemetrics are related to telephone calls.
 13. The method of claim 1,wherein the real-time circuit performance metrics are related to plainold telephone system telephone calls.
 14. The method of claim 1, whereinthe real-time circuit performance metrics are related to networkcapacity.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time circuitperformance metrics are related to network traffic.
 16. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the real-time circuit performance metrics are relatedto idle circuits.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-timecircuit performance metrics are related to overflow circuits.
 18. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the real-time circuit performance metrics arerelated to traffic busy circuits.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein thereal-time circuit performance metrics are related to maintenance busycircuits.
 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time circuitperformance metrics are related to satellite circuits.
 21. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the real-time circuit performance metrics are obtainedvia the Internet from a network operating system.
 22. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the real-time circuit performance metrics are receivedvia a web browser.
 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-timecircuit performance metrics are obtained at a predetermined timeinterval.
 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time circuitperformance metrics are obtained at a customizable predetermined timeinterval.
 25. A system, comprising: a predetermined customer informationdevice configured to: request real-time circuit performance metrics fora communications network between a transit carrier and a predeterminedterminating carrier; receive the real-time circuit performance metricsvia an internet at an originating carrier associated with the transitcarrier so that the originating carrier can monitor the real-timecircuit performance metrics; and route traffic at direction of theoriginating carrier, and not by a user, through a different transitcarrier if the real-time performance metrics are considered to beunacceptable.
 26. A tangible computer-readable medium containinginstructions for activities comprising: requesting real-time circuitperformance metrics for a communications network between a transitcarrier and a predetermined terminating carrier; automatically receivingthe real-time circuit performance metrics via an internet at anoriginating carrier associated with the transit carrier so that theoriginating carrier can monitor the real-time circuit performancemetrics; and routing traffic at direction of the originating carrier,and not by a user, through a different transit carrier if the real-timeperformance metrics are considered to be unacceptable.
 27. Apredetermined customer information device comprising a graphical userinterface comprising a rendering of real-time circuit performancemetrics for a communications network between a transit carrier and apredetermined terminating carrier, wherein the rendering is updated viaan internet connection at a predetermined time interval, wherein anoriginating carrier monitors the real-time circuit performance metrics,and wherein the rendering displays routing traffic at direction of theoriginating carrier, and not by a user, through a different transitcarrier if the real-time performance metrics are considered to beunacceptable.